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Beyond the Fringe
Looking for scenic beauty, great weather and even better rock? Put Northern California on your road-trip radar.
We're now officially off the grid, I said to Doug Englekirk as his bald head ricocheted off the ceiling of my Toyota 4×4. We bounced up the last 200 feet of jumbled granite boulders to the climbers' camp at Shuteye Ridge in the southern Yosemite region. I stepped out into the crisp alpine air and saw the familiar dark, looming silhouette of the 400-foot High Eagle dome curving eastward into a deep green pine forest. Waiting for us outside his Jeep at the single site was Grahm Doe, a tattooed giant with short brown hair and big mitts. He is the guidebook for the area. Grahm is always the first guy in every spring, crashing through the last snowdrifts, wielding his chainsaws and clearing logs for the rest of us. We shook hands, racked and packed, then set off down a faint trail towards High Eagle's giant southern face.
It was Doug's first trip to Shuteye, and while he ogled the undulating, black-and-yellow streaked 300-foot south face of High Eagle, replete with golden knobs, plates, incuts, buckets and 70-meter 5.12s, I had my eyes on the virgin domes below.
Grahm opened up and told us he'd recently put up a moderate sport route, the best for its grade at Shuteye, over on 557s Dome. Of course I had to do it. But first Doug sent the long, gently overhanging Illuminati (5.12b) on High Eagle, then exhausted himself attempting Swing Town (5.13a) on the even steeper cliff called the Aerie, and finally used up his reserves with an onsight of Atmosphere (5.12c). After that, we took the cross-country trip through the brush down to 557s Dome, and worked our way over to Grahm's new route: the one-pitch, 18-bolt, 200-foot See You in Heaven (5.10a). Located on the south face, this ladder of reddish-gold plates, knobs and horns turned out to be one of the best routes I've ever done, anywhere. What Grahm neglected to tell me until we got back to the climbers' camp that evening was that he hadn't yet sent it. Oops.
My trips up to Shuteye Ridge had alwaysbeen full of wild discoveries, first ascents and routes that fell into the best ever category, and yet there was no guide to this paradise. No crowds, no developed camping, no coffee shop. Wondering what else was lying beyond the fringe, I decided to find out by spending my weekends road tripping to all the forgotten crags that were sleeping in the pages of outdated California guidebooks, and maybe even seek out some new rock along the way.
I traveled Highway 88 to Calaveras Domes, southwest of Tahoe, a destination that climbers have largely forgotten, huge domes and amazing 10-pitch routes like Wall of the Worlds (5.10c), one of the best multi-pitch climbs in the state, and shorter classics like Wings and Stings (5.7) and the iconic Gemini Cracks (5.9).
I also spent a few weeks at Sonora Pass, north of Yosemite, with various partners, mainly Brandon Thau. We explored the basalt columns furrowed with cracks at the Grotto, west of Sonora, and the high alpine, knobby granite of Hummingbird Wall, perched high at the summit of Highway 108. And we hit up everything in between.
Inspired by one of the out-of-print guidebooks for the Sequoia/ Kings Canyon National Parks, I made several visits. While the Parks are not as frequently traveled as their well-known neighbor Yosemite, to the north, they sure have a lot to offer aficionados of granite cracks. The main attractions are far off the beaten path, with 10- to 16-mile approaches through poison oak and dense brush. But there are plenty of worthy roadside attractions to choose from, too. We ended up taking the path of least resistance and climbed several multi-pitch classics on Moro Rock, juggy sport routes on Buck Rock, long crimpy slabs on Little Baldy, and stellar face and crack routes on Chimney Rock and Spire. Where else in the country do 300- to 900-foot domes and spires play second fiddle?
The East Side has pretty much everything except big walls, right? Hit the Whitney Portal Buttress and you'll be surprised to find excellent 11-pitch routes up pristine white alpine granite. If you're seeking fall colors, just plan your visit between October and November. And, no, we didn't encounter any other climbers. Only fishermen.
Visit the beaches and forests of the north coast if you're into hard bouldering (or nude bouldering!), remote crags and limestone. Or hit the Beaver Street Wall in the heart of San Francisco, and slither up its unique, smooth-as-glass, red-striped rock.
As Chris Summit and I explored, the project grew into a book, which demanded endless hours at the computer and night classes on Photoshop, Indesign and Illustrator. Finally, California Road Trip, a Climber's Guide, Northern California was complete. We were able to resurrect some select crags in quite a few areas where guidebooks have gone out of print: places like the Needles, Calaveras Domes, Kern River crags, Kings Canyon and Sequoia, Southern Yosemite, Courtright Reservoir, Tollhouse and the Shaver Lake vicinity, and the Sonora Pass Highway.
Northern California is still rugged and wild beyond the city limits. You can find solitude if you travel off the beaten path. If you haven't explored it, hit the road.
Tom Slater teaches middle school on the Central Coast. He surfs, climbs and wields a light saber better than most.
GUIDEBOOK: California Road Trip, a Climber's Guide, Northern California by Tom Slater and Chris Summit lists over 100 crags and 2,000 routes from the Kern River to the Oregon border.Kings Canyon/Sequoia Roadside Crags
AREA OVERVIEW: These parks offer steep valleys, deep caverns, giant trees and massive rock outcroppings, some rivaling Yosemite in grandeur. Classic formations like Tehipite Dome, Charlotte Dome, Angel Wings and Castle Rock Spire are legendary. You will find no shortage of climbing here. Even the roadside crags (like the 1,700-foot Moro Rock) would be considered major destinations just about anywhere else in the country.
AMENITIES: There are grocery stores and a good assortment of restaurants in Three Rivers (one hour away from Moro Rock). Wuksachi Village, a few miles north of Lodgepole, provides high-end lodging and a restaurant (20 minutes away). There is pay camping at Lodgepole, Potwisha and Buckeye Flat. Free camping is available in the National Forest between Kings Canyon and Sequoia, near Chimney Rock and Buck Rock climbing areas. For a rest from climbing, there are several options ranging from museums to tours of Crystal Cave and Boyden Cave. A $20 entrance fee, good for seven days, is required to visit national parks. Also, bears are a problem, so store your food properly (not in your car) or you may be fined $500.
CLIMBING STYLE: Sport and traditional.
SEASON: Fall and summer. Most crags are above 6,000 feet elevation. Raptor closures are in effect from Januar 1 to August 1. Parts of Moro Rock stay open all year.
GEAR: Full traditional rack, 12 draws, long slings, two 60-m ropes.
DIRECTIONS: From Fresno, take Highway 180 east into the park. From Visalia, drive Highway 198 north into the park (Ash Mountain Entrance). Little Baldy is six miles north of Lodgepole; Moro Rock is south of Lodgepole Campground. Just follow the many signs. Chimney Rock is 17 miles on the General's Highway (Highway 198) north of Lodgepole, toward Kings Canyon. Turn south onto road 14S29, which is a paved, one-lane road. It is one mile south of the Montecito Lake Resort. You will find a sign that says National Forest Organizational Camps (Road 14S29). From here it is about three miles to the end of the road and the parking area. For Buck Rock, take Highway 180 East (Kings Canyon Road) out of Fresno. From the entrance to Kings Canyon, drive .7 miles past the entrance. Turn right onto the General's Highway and travel about 7 miles toward the Sequoia National Forest boundary. Take forest road 14S11 (on the left), to Buck Rock Campground. At the campground, take a left onto forest road 13S04, staying left at each split, and continue on until it turns into the Buck Rock Lookout.
Whitney Portal
AREA OVERVIEW: The Whitney Portal Buttress is a huge, 1,000-foot tower of granite that offers 11-pitch routes between 5.10 and 5.12.
AMENITIES: Bishop/Mammoth have all you need. Several campgrounds off Highway 395. Whitney Portal Campground is also at the end of the road.
CLIMBING STYLE: Sport and traditional.
SEASON: Fall and summer are best. The crags are located at over 8,000 feet.
GEAR: 14 draws, slings and a full trad rack. A 70-meter rope is mandatory for some routes.
DIRECTIONS: From Bishop, drive south on Highway 395 until you reach the town of Lone Pine. Turn right onto Whitney Portal Road. This is the only traffic light in town. Drive this road about 12 miles to the Mount Whitney trailhead parking (the end of the road). Park here for the Whitney Portal Buttress. Hike the Mount Whitney trail as it contours east. After the trail turns west to Mount Whitney, hike under the Whitney Portal Buttress until reaching Carillon Creek. Head up and right to the buttress. Forty minutes with 600 feet elevation gain.
Shuteye Ridge
AREA OVERVIEW: A host of backcountry domes with featured granite and no crowds. This is a large ridge area running north to south, with awesome domes and cliffs on all sides. It is very secluded and scenic, with views of the highest Sierra peaks. Many domes are up to 900 feet high, with mostly slab climbing. Abundant walls offer vertical with some overhanging walls and caves. In contrast to its nearby neighbor, Yosemite Valley, the weathered granite hosts holds more like limestone, pockets, pinches, incut edges and drippy chickenheads.
AMENITIES: Oakhurst, an hour down the road, has a lot of food and shopping. There is also a movie theater, which can make the long fall/winter nights a little easier. Check out El Cid Mexican Cuisine, Pizza Factory and The Met Cinema.
CLIMBING STYLE: Sport and traditional.
SEASON: Fall and summer are best. The crags are located at over 8,000 feet.
GEAR: Full traditional rack, 30 draws, long slings, two 60-meter ropes.
DIRECTIONS: From Highway 41 north in Oakhurst, continue to Bass Lake Road (222), and turn right. The intersection is marked with signs. After a few miles 222 turns into 274 (222 goes right, but stay left). About five miles from the Highway 41 intersection, turn left at the small street sign for Beasore Road, just after a big sign on the right for the Pines Resort. Go up Beasore about 10 miles to the intersection with Central Camp. Turn right at a large brown metal sign on the right at the intersection. Central Camp is a good dirt road. Follow it downhill for about three miles to an intersection. Stay left. After about three miles you'll encounter a 170-degree switchback on the left and a small wood sign that says Shuteye Lookout. The road cuts back hard left and is easy to miss. If you get to Central Camp, you've gone too far. Travel up Shuteye Lookout road about 3.8 miles through two creek crossings to High Eagle Dome parking. After the stream crossings the road will split into a Y. Straight goes to Brown's Meadow and is marked. Left continues up the mountain to the Shuteye Lookout. The last 200 feet before High Eagle is a bit rough, but once through, you will see the huge dome and an obvious pullout on the left with a large fire ring. This is the climbers' camp. Approaches for Shangri La, High Eagle, The Talon, Hobbit, 557s and The Aerie all start here. High-clearance vehicles are recommended.
Calaveras Domes
OVERVIEW: This area is situated in the Sierra Nevada at 4,000 feet elevation. The two main domes, Calaveras Dome and Hammer Dome, are almost mirror opposites. Calaveras is a huge 1,500-foot dome, while Hammer Dome is a mere 500 feet high. Both offer superb climbing. Some climbs are one pitch while others are all-day adventures, true Grade IVs. To the west of Calaveras Dome you'll find the Hidden Wall. It offers modern sport routes from 5.12a to 5.13b on overhanging granite. Don't climb here before July 1 due to falcon nesting.
CLIMBING STORE: Mokelumne Adventure Co. (209) 223-2250; Tahoe Sports Ltd.
(530) 544-2284.
AMENITIES: Roadside camping is close and free, but primitive. Bring everything you need. Look for Mokelumne, White Azalea and Moore Creek. Check out Ham's Station in Pioneer for food.
CLIMBING STYLE: Mostly traditional, with sport climbs on Hidden Wall.
SEASON: Spring, summer, fall and sometimes in winter on Hammer Dome, depending upon road closures, snow, ice, etc.
GEAR: A rack up to 4-inch, doubles of everything. It is even wise to carry a light rack up the face routes.
DIRECTIONS: At the junction of Highway 88 and Highway 49, you'll find the town of Jackson. From Jackson, take 88 east 18 miles past Pioneer, and at the top of a hill (past Ham's Station) turn right on Ellis Road (FS 92). Drive 10 miles on this rough paved road down to the Mokelumne River (30 minutes). You will cross several concrete bridges. Look for a rock cairn across from the lowest toe of the low-angle slabs of Hammer Dome. Hike uphill for five minutes and you'll reach the talus below Old Smoky.
For Hammer Dome: Follow directions as for Calaveras Dome, then park on the east side of the rock in the dirt turnout before the bridge. It is next to the aqueduct by the PG&E plant. Don't drive up the hairpin turns. If you hit the Salt Springs dam, you've gone too far. Hike along the faint trail that parallels the aqueduct for about 10 minutes. When you reach the tunnel, climb up and over it and fourth-class to the ledges above. You'll be almost directly below the classic Gemini Cracks (5.9).
Sonora Pass Highway
OVERVIEW: The Sonora Pass Highway is full of quality crags in a wide range of elevations. Table Mountain is a popular basalt climbing area that has both trad and overhanging sport routes. The Donell Vista Boulder has short granite routes in a parking lot. Column of the Giants is a sport area with a large cave and very steep routes. Chipmunk Flat is high alpine granite located near the summit of the Pass. The rock is very featured and the routes are well bolted. Portions of the Sonora Pass Highway close in winter due to snow.
AMENITIES: Jamestown and Sonora have everything you need. There are many gas statios along Highway 108 and several small mountain towns have restaurants and small markets. There is a small store in Strawberry. Pinecrest Lake Campground shows summer movies in the outdoor amphitheater. With great swimming and fishing, the lake is also quite the scene during the summer months. There are many primitive campgrounds along Highway 108 and its side roads. Check out Pie in the Sky Pizza in Sugar Pine.
CLIMBING STYLE: Traditional, sport, bouldering.
SEASON: Summer, spring and early fall. The higher crags may only be open in summer and fall.
GEAR: Trad rack, sport rack, slings, long webbing.
DIRECTIONS: The Grotto
From Highway 108 at Jamestown, turn left on Rawhide Road and cross a one-lane bridge. Next, turn left on Shell Road. Dive through a couple of gates on a dirt road to a locked gate and parking. From the parking area, hike the dirt road for about .3 mile and then cut left up a trail past a power pole that is about 100 feet above the dirt road. Eventually you'll talus hop through bushes to the base of Table Mountain. You will arrive at the Welcome Wall (5.10 to 5.11 sport routes) first. Hike left and drop down the short, third-class gully into The Grotto. Once there, you'll find a wide variety of crack and face climbs from 5.8 to 5.12.
Donnell Vita
From Highway 108, pull into the Donnell Vista parking lot (north side of the road). It's about halfway up the pass between Sonora and the true summit of the pass. On the granite boulders, you'll find short 20-foot routes (5.8 to 5.10d). Bring gear to set up a toprope, or pads ifou want to solo them. Convenient if you're just passing through. Minimal gear needed.
Column of the Giants
From Miwuk, it is approximately 38 miles. You will find a large sign on Highway 108 that reads Column of the Giants. It is a little over 10 miles from the summit of the pass if coming from the east side. Park in the lot. Then hike over the bridge. The trail will head left, and then make a big right turn. For the Hexentric (5.7), about 100 feet after this bend, leave the trail on its left side and skirt the right side of a low mound of rock. Then angle up the talus and aim for the dead tree visible on top of the hill. Hexentric will be the next small cliff to the left. For the Caves, continue down the main trail until it dead ends at the talus. Diagonal up over the loose talus to the obvious cave, where you'll find about two dozen 5.12s and 5.13s. Delirious, the steepest 5.12a in California, is here.
Hummingbird Wall
Hummingbird Wall is approached from the small paved turnout a mile past the Chipmunk Flat. Head up the obvious brushy gully below and left of the climbs. The hike takes about 15 minutes. A half-dozen 5.8 to 5.10 high quality sport/crack routes go up amazing knobby alpine granite.
KINGS/SEQUOIA National Parks
Dry Run (5.5), Crystal Wall, Chimney Rock
Pop A Top (5.7), Crystal Wall, Chimney Rock
Duet (5.8), Chimney Rock Spire
Wall of Early Morning Fright (5.9), Chimney Rock Spire
South Cracks start to South Face (5.9), Moro Rock
Mowing the Yawn (5.10a), Buck Rock
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow (5.10), Little Baldy
Levity's End (5.10), Moro Rock
Ghost Rider (5.10c), Whitney Portal Buttress
Trivial Pursuit (5.12a), Whitney Portal Buttress
Vista Flake (5.7), Donnell Vista, Sonora Pass Highway 108
Hexcentric (5.7), Column of the Giants, Sonora Pass Highway 108
Sidesaddle (5.9), The Grotto, Sonora Pass Highway 108
You Insolent Peasant (5.9), Hummingbird Wall, Sonora Pass Highway 108
Chicken Ranch Bingo (5.10a), The Grotto
Color Coded Quickdraws (5.10b), The Grotto
AC Devil Dog (5.10c), The Grotto
Rawhide (5.10d), The Grotto
Squeeler (5.11c), The Grotto
Ejection Seat (5.12a), The Grotto
Delirious (5.12a), Column of the Giants, Sonora Pass Highway 108
Flight Simulator (5.12b), The Grotto
Wings and Stings (5.7), Hammer Dome
Old Smoky (5.9), Calaveras Dome
Sea of Holes (5.10), Hammer Dome
Gemini Cracks (5.9), Hammer Dome
Wall of the Worlds (5.10c), Calaveras Dome
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun (5.11), Hammer Dome
Silk Road (5.11), Calaveras Dome
Tsunami (5.11c), Calaveras Dome
Stone Giants (5.7), Hobbit Dome, Shuteye Ridge
Euphoria (5.10a), Shangri La, Shuteye Ridge
Waiting For Heaven (5.10a), 557s, Shuteye Ridge
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (5.10a), High Eagle, Shuteye Ridge
Shangri La (5.11a), Shangri La, Shuteye Ridge
Cashmere (5.12b), Shangri La, Shuteye Ridge
Bioluminescent (5.12c), High Eagle, Shuteye Ridge
War Eagle (5.12d/.13a), The Aerie, Shuteye Ridge
Gray Matter (5.12d/.13a), The Aerie, Shuteye Ridge
Turkey Vulture (5.13a/b), High Eagle, Shuteye Ridge


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The Joy of the Lord is My Strength November 7, 2012Posted by Dr. Robert Owens in Politics.
Tags: Cloward/Piven Strategy, Dr. Robert Owens, election 2012, liberal agenda, Obama victory, Obamacare, Progressive agenda, Romney loss
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As predicted numerous times in the History of the Future, the Progressive Republican could not defeat the Progressive Democrat. Why would people want a shadow when they can have the real thing?
It was a hard choice to endorse the Progressive Romney, but I felt that the stakes were so high it was worth the effort. As I said repeatedly he might have driven us to the poor house a little bit slower. Instead we have a triumphant President Obama and the Chicago Outfit he represents sitting astride the prostrate body politic. The last four years will be but a prelude to the horrendous destruction these looters will do to the American Experiment in the next four. And given their obvious ability to lead their army of useful idiots, takers, and corrupt city political machines to electoral victory we should probably brace ourselves for President Biden in 2016.
The perpetually re-elected establishment rigidly controls the entrenched two party system, which conveniently calls itself Democrat and Republican. They are two sides of the same coin, and two wings on the same bird of prey. They both represent the Progressive central-planners who believe government is the answer when we know it is the problem. No matter which side wins the government grows and devours more of the nation's output and its wealth. The election results ratify the electoral majorities' union with the statists. It also points to:
- the permanent establishment of Obamacare
- the probable capture of the Supreme Court
- the loss through re-interpretation of our rights
- the full implementation of the Cloward/Piven Strategy with massive debt , borrowing, and inflation
- the expansion of rule by decree
- the continued and expanded humiliation of America in international affairs
- the end of the American experiment in limited government, personal liberty and economic freedom as we have known it
As alarming as all this sounds do not despair, God did not leave us nor forsake us. First of all He gave us plenty of warning. This author and many others repeatedly predicted an Obama win. As I stated numerous times, the Chicago Machine doesn't lose elections. Also our hope is not in the hand of man. Man didn't give us the peace that passes all understanding and he can't take it away. God gave us His Word which is always our refuge and our fortress.
He told us:
- A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.
- Do notsorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength
- Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
- God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…
- If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
That is why I can face this morning with joy in my heart and hope in my spirit for I know who my Savior is and I know what He has promised me. Build your life upon the Rock that doesn't roll and when the wind and waves beat against you, you shall not fall.
God's Word tells us not to put our trust in leaders whose plans are of this world. Don't look for utopia here. Don't keep your treasure in the world where rust destroys and time forgets instead keep your treasure with God. He promises us that if we draw near to Him He will draw near to us, and that if we humble ourselves before Him He will lift us up.
So don't despair. Don't let the passing victory of the evil steal your joy because if the devil can't steal your joy he can't keep your stuff. And remember, weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Trust God, praise Jesus, and remember: the hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. The plans of the wicked may flourish but they will also wither like the flower in the field. Trials and tribulations come upon us so that we may grow and persecution was also promised to those who believe along with a way of escape.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Keep the faith, keep the peace, we shall overcome.
Dr. Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com © 2012 Robert R. Owens email@example.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens

subset: commoncrawl


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Front Runners List: Click to see list completion progress by climbers that log their climbs using Peakbagger.com.
Compare Climbers: Click to compare ascents of up to 5 climbers working on this list.
This list is very similar to the list of Canadian High Points. Of the 13 Provinces and Territories that make up Canada, the highest peak and most prominent peak are the same in 11 of them. The only exceptions are Saskatchewan and Quebec. In Saskatchewan, the highest point is a flat plateau in the Cypress Hills, near the Alberta border, and the province just misses out on the highest point in the entire Cypress Hills (which is entirely in Alberta and has a respectable prominence of almost 600 meters). Quebec's Mont d'Iberville is located only a couple of horizontal meters from Mount Caubvick (fully inside Labrador), and therefore has very low prominence. So Quebec's prom point is the popular and much more accessible Mont Jacques Cartier.
Thanks to Edward Earl, who, using his WinProm program, determined the most prominent peaks for Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Caution: These books feature many of the peaks on this list, but may not have information on all of them.
= Peak with Rank #1 on List;   = Other Peaks
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Kent Bush: Frustrated on Tuesday night?
How frustrated were you Tuesday night?
I hope you have been reading these columns for each of the past 12 weekends and realize that the Electoral College doesn't protect federalism or grant extra power to smaller states. Tuesday night proved that it merely turns presidential elections into a game won by narrowing your focus to the undecided voters of a dozen states.
Barack Obama's team created a machine that increased turnout among voters likely to support him in Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada and Florida - although we may never know who officially won Florida. How is it possible that Florida can be home to NASA and launch rockets, but they can't count votes?
The Obama ground game mobilized minorities, women and young people at levels that indicate the excitement over his candidacy was the same as it was in 2008. For months, polls consistently showed enthusiasm for Obama had waned due to four years of battling a tough economy, high unemployment and higher gas prices.
But instead of wringing their hands, the Obama campaign mobilized to reach the people they needed to fill the gap.
They didn't come to Kansas. They knew Kansas was lost. They didn't go to California. The left coast was in the bag.
They mobilized in 12 swing states and won a second term in the White House.
In one sense, you can praise the effort. They saw a problem and solved it. But when you see that effort is only required in about a dozen states, it has to show you that the Electoral College needs to be reformed.
As soon as the time came to close Kansas polls, the race was called.
The same was true in all of the red and blue states.
People who arrived at polling places to cast ballots near closing time were still in line when the major networks awarded their states' Electoral votes.
In 2016, whoever the becomes the Republican candidate will already have Kansas on his side of the equation even though he won't plan any visits here or spend a dime on ad campaigns.
No great political machines will be activated to get out the Kansas vote. The state is as red as they come. A dozen Republicans in a row have received electoral votes in Kansas. Barring another culturally significant event like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the next dozen candidates can count on similar support.
That consistency may be good, however, it allows candidates to take the state for granted.
Thanks to the Electoral College's winner-take-all system, Kansas is just another flat piece of land the candidates fly over on their way to campaign stops.
According to Nate Silver - who became the first ever celebrity pollster thanks to attacks on his methodology that were proven false Tuesday - Mitt Romney would have had to win the popular vote by almost 3 percent in order to secure enough Electoral votes to win the White House.
Silver said, "Had the popular vote been a tie - assuming that the margin in each state shifted uniformly - (Obama) would still have won re-election with 285 electoral votes, carrying Colorado and Virginia, although losing Florida and Ohio."
In baseball, the tie goes to the runner. In presidential politics right now, a tie goes to the Democrat.
Once again, the country is fortunate not to have endured a close finish. In 2016, the nightmare scenario is far more likely when both sides field a fresh face. With no incumbents, barring a meltdown by either side, the race should be very close in those 12 swing states.
How will the GOP feel if they miss the White House again because their candidate only won the popular vote by 2 percent and the Electoral College still awards the presidency to the Democrat?
The easiest path for the Republicans to change the balance of power is by reversing losses among Hispanic voters.
But why should we keep a system that continues to treat the presidential elections as a game and force both sides to play to select audiences in order to win? Why should we allow the Electoral College to force GOP candidates to pander to undecided minorities in swing states rather than formulating policies that benefit all voters from the 50 states and the District of Columbia?
We can do better.
The Electoral College could be modified or thrown out to even the playing field.
I hope the voters who read this column for three months agreed. We will know more next week when the write-in votes are counted.
Kent Bush is publisher of the Augusta, Kan., Gazette.


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Good morning! To update my last post, the Chicago Teachers Union — some 26,000 teachers and support staff — has gone out on strike today. They are striking for themselves — for previously promised raises and decent health coverage, against being overworked by longer hours and larger class sizes — and also for their students — for "elective" courses such as art and gym and music, and for educational support such as librarians and social workers. You'd bet that mayor Rahm Emanuel's children and the children of the Chicago School Board members attend schools that have all that and more. All of Chicago's public school students certainly deserve the same. (Rahm, by the way, should be ashamed of himself. His mother, a union organizer, is probably rolling in her grave.)
If you are in Chicago, join a picket! Some handy person has mapped them all out, but I hear you can't swing a cat in Chicago this morning without hitting some striking teachers. If you don't have the time, but maybe have some financial resources, donate to the strike fund. Or stop by a picket with coffee and snacks. I'm sure the teachers will appreciate it. Also, as my fellow people's librarian from Chicago, Rachel Allshiny, herself an unemployed teacher, notes on Twitter (follow her: @allshiny), "My parents raised me to never cross a picket line. But for some of these kids it's the only way they'll get breakfast." And lunch, for that matter. Emptier schools will make for a more effective strike, so if you have folks in your neighborhood who need childcare, or kids who take free or reduced price meals at school, step up and help out. If supporters could take in children for weeks and months during the Lawrence textile mill strike a hundred years ago, you can surely make a couple sandwiches.
Here in NYC, we'll be gathering at Union Square at 5pm this evening for a show of solidarity. (And inspiration? A girl can dream.)
Along with the start of the school year, it's also the start of football season. I love football! If you google hard enough, you might be able to find pictures of yours truly at age 12 in pads and jersey and with a ponytail hanging out the back of a helmet. (As a side note, I especially love the Green Bay Packers, which is the only community-owned pro sports team in the US. And the only one to release all its financial information every year. And it's against NFL rules for other teams to organize like this.) But if you've been watching pre-season games or this weekend's season openers, you may have noticed that the calls were less than stellar. The NFL's regular referees are locked out, a tactic I've previously written about that is being used by owners against workers with more and more frequency. In their place, the league has hired scabs up from Div II & III college ball, high schools, and sundry other leagues. (It just kills me that Shannon Eastin, the first woman to ref in the NFL, is a scab.)
There's a lot to be said about this — how meeting all the refs' demands would cost the league very little money, how the replacements' collective lack of experience may endanger the players of a sport that has been paying increasing attention to long-term dangers of concussions and other impact injuries. Other people have spilled a lot of ink over all that. I'll just say that I won't be watching any games, and neither should you, until the refs' demands are met and the lockout is over. If any NFL players happen to be reading, especially any Packers, or from teams in other old union towns — I'm looking at you, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and Pittsburgh Steelers — I suggest you get on the right side of history and start vociferously supporting your referees.
Here in New York we had an important victory just last week. On the Upper East Side, Hot and Crusty fired and locked out a couple dozen workers after they unionized and won improvements in wages and working conditions. Rather than not being a jerk, the owner closed up shop. Workers and allies occupied the place until the cops showed up and arrested a few people. Then they started picketing, running a cafe on the sidewalk, and holding a tough line against half-assed offers. As of now, workers' demands have all been met, and Hot and Crusty is scheduled to reopen; let's all keep an eye on this — the picket will continue until the owner follows through.
Last, but not least, some of New York City's car wash employees are getting organized. Like the Hot and Crusty employees, many car wash workers are immigrants, often undocumented, which makes it easier for owners to exploit them, through fear of la migra. Let's be ready to step up and lend some solidarity as these workers, too, start demanding their rights and dignity.
ETA: In international news, more and more miners, now more than 40,000, are striking in South Africa.
ETA: As of Wednesday, 9/12, teachers in Lake Forest, Ill., a suburb to the north of Chicago, and not part of the Chicago school system, have also gone out on strike. It sounds like they're having a rough time of it, so any support from folks out that way would be appreciated, I'm sure. Lake Forest has a very different demographic profile from Chicago, being very white and very wealthy. With a median household income about three times that of the national average, residents should probably STFU about teachers wanting to be well-compensated for the valuable work they do.
ETA: It's still Wednesday, and I've got more labor news! Workers at a warehouse in Mira Loma, California, that subcontracts with Walmart — and we all know how shitty Walmart's labor record is — have walked off, after Walmart wouldn't even come to the table to discuss wages, working conditions, and retaliation for previous organization attempts. In coming days they will be walking the 50 miles to Los Angeles to take up the issue with Walmart's executives.


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BRIGANTINE, N.J. >> President Barack Obama soberly toured the destruction wrought by superstorm Sandy on Wednesday in the company of New Jersey's Republican governor and assured victims "we will not quit" until cleanup and recovery are complete. Six days before their hard-fought election, rival Mitt Romney muted criticism of Obama as he barnstormed battleground Florida.
Forsaking partisan politics for the third day in a row, the president helicoptered with Gov. Chris Christie over washed-out roads, flooded homes, boardwalks bobbing in the ocean and, in Seaside Heights, a fire still burning after ruining about eight structures.
Back on the ground, the president introduced one local woman to "my guy Craig Fugate." In a plainspoken demonstration of the power of the presidency, Obama instructed the man at the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a 7,500-employee federal agency, to "make sure she gets the help she needs" immediately.
Despite the tour and Romney's own expressions of sympathy for storm victims — a break on the surface from heated campaigning — a controversy as heated as any in the long, intense struggle for the White House flared over the Republican challenger's new television and radio ads in Ohio.
"Desperation," Vice President Joe Biden said of the broadcast claims that suggested automakers General Motors and Chrysler are adding jobs in China at the expense of workers in the bellwether state. "One of the most flagrantly dishonest ads I can ever remember."
Republicans were unrepentant as Romney struggled for a breakthrough in the Midwest.
"American taxpayers are on track to lose $25 billion as a result of President Obama's handling of the auto bailout, and GM and Chrysler are expanding their production overseas," said an emailed statement issued in the name of Republican running mate Paul Ryan.
The two storms — one inflicted by nature, the other whipped up by rival campaigns — were at opposite ends of a race nearing its end in a flurry of early balloting by millions of voters, unrelenting advertising and so many divergent polls that the result was confusion, not clarity.
National surveys make the race a tight one for the popular vote, with Romney ahead by a statistically insignificant point or two in some, and Obama in others.
Both sides claim an advantage from battleground state soundings that also are tight. Obama's aides contend he is ahead or tied in all of them, while Romney's team counters that his campaign is expanding in its final days into what had long been deemed safe territory for the president in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Minnesota.
The storm added yet another element of uncertainty, as Obama spent a third straight day embracing his role as incumbent and Romney tried to tread lightly during a major East Coast disaster.
The president received a briefing at the Federal Emergency Management Agency across town from the White House before flying to New Jersey, where the shoreline absorbed some of the worst damage in a storm that killed 50 and laid waste to New York City's electrical and transportation systems.
Christie was waiting when Air Force One landed, and he and Obama, two figures in blue windbreakers, walked together toward the president's helicopter to begin their tour. It was a tableau that seemed impossible a week ago — a president struggling to defend his economic record in a tight election, flying off to a non-battleground state to spend the afternoon in the company of the man who delivered the keynote address at Romney's Republican National Convention this summer.
Three hours later, the two men spoke of one another in glowing terms.
"He has sprung into action immediately," said Christie.
Said Obama of the governor, "He has put his heart and soul into making sure the people of New Jersey bounce back stronger than before."
The storm forced an abrupt change in Romney's campaign, as well.
In Tampa, the Republican challenger said, "We love all of our fellow citizens. We come together at times like this, and we want to make sure that they have a speedy and quick recovery from their financial and, in many cases, personal loss." His criticism of Obama was glancing. "I don't just talk about change. I actually have a plan to execute change and make it happen."
Romney was spending the full day in the state, campaigning with former Gov. Jeb Bush. It was an unusual commitment of time in the final days of a close race, and an indication that Republicans view the state and its 29 electoral votes as anything but secure.
The debate was ferocious over Romney's broadcast ads. The radio version said that after Obama's auto bailout, General Motors has "cut 15,000 American jobs, but they are planning to double the number of cars built in China which means 15,000 more jobs for China.
"And now comes word that Chrysler is starting to build cars in, you guessed it, China."
Biden termed the ads scurrilous. He said that executives from General Motors and Chrysler, which produces Jeeps, had said the claims were inaccurate.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the truth is, just recently in the last couple of months, in Toledo, Ohio, not only is the Jeep plant open and churning out Jeeps, they announced they're adding 1,100 new jobs."
Ryan's emailed response conceded nothing. "President Obama has chosen not to run on the facts of his record, but he can't run from them," it said.
His reference to a $25 billion cost to taxpayers reflected the Treasury Department's most recent estimate of the amount General Motors and Chrysler still owe the government from the financing it received during a managed bankruptcy in 2009.
Ryan didn't mention that the two companies have repaid billions more than that. Nor did he refer to Obama's frequent claim that the administration's bailout, which Romney opposed, saved large numbers of jobs and prevented the collapse of the U.S. auto industry itself.
Obama's aides said the president would return to political travel on Thursday with stops in Wisconsin, Nevada and Colorado. But for one more day, he was hands-on commander of the federal response to Sandy, and consoler-in-chief for its victims.
Obama's New Jersey itinerary included a community center in Brigantine Beach that is serving as a shelter for local storm victims. Officials said about 200 people were sleeping in the center's gym at the height of the storm, a number that has been reduced.
The political impact of the storm on the race was difficult to gauge.
Obama senior adviser David Axelrod told reporters it had "tended to freeze this race" in place because "people are focused on the storm. That's what's been in the news."
Not everyone, and not all the time.
In the race's final days, Romney's campaign aired ads in Minnesota and Pennsylvania, two states long considered safe for the president. Republican's allies are airing commercials in Michigan and New Mexico.
Obama's aides insisted the states were safe for him, but it dispatched former President Bill Clinton to Minnesota, and purchased airtime in the other three states to respond to the Republicans.
Both campaigns invested in get-out-the-vote operations in the run-up to Election Day.
Officials in Florida said more than 2.6 million ballots had been cast as of Tuesday night. Democrats voted in slightly higher numbers than Republicans, but nearly 450,000 voters were independents.
Associated Press writers Steve Peoples and Kasie Hunt in Florida, Philip Elliott in Eau Claire, Wis., Ben Feller, Charles Babington, Ken Thomas, Martin Crutsinger and Stacy A. Anderson in Washington, Matthew Daly in Sarasota, Fla., Brian Bakst in St. Paul, Minn., and Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Fla., contributed to this report. Espo reported from Washington.


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A nationally ranked private university with seven degree-granting schools, SMU is a distinguished center for teaching and research located near the heart of Dallas. SMU's 11,000 students benefit from small classes, research opportunities, leadership development, international study and innovative programs. The University is strengthened by its partnership with the Dallas region, a global center of commerce and culture. SMU students, faculty and alumni are changing the world through their chosen fields, civic engagement and service to society.
Teaching and research fuse into breakthrough experiences in one of the brightest academic communities in the world. Our 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio means students build strong relationships with outstanding faculty who champion their ambition and drive, whether it's for tackling climate change, fighting cancer or pursuing another passion.
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Los Angeles looks into making ballot bankable
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles is considering turning voting ballots into lottery tickets.
With fewer than a fourth of voters showing up for recent local elections, the city's Ethics Commission voted to recommend that the City Council consider a cash-prize drawing as an incentive to vote.
Commission President Nathan Hochman said a pilot program should be used first to find out the number and size of prizes that would bump up turnout.
"Maybe it's $25,000 maybe it's $50,000," Hochman said, according to the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/1uV1Ekw). "That's where the pilot program comes in."
The Thursday vote was unanimous. The issue now moves to the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee headed by City Council President Herb Wesson, who said he's intrigued by the idea but wants to hear what neighborhood councils and "legal beagles" think.
"I can't wait to have this conversation," he said, but added that he didn't want to be the "poster child" for the proposal.
It wasn't immediately clear whether there was any precedent in other cities or states for such a move, which brings with it questions of propriety and legality.
Federal law prohibits payment for voting, but Ethics Commissioner Jessica Levinson, who is also an attorney and law school professor, says that statute wouldn't apply to elections without federal races on the ballot.
California law prohibits money or gifts for votes for a particular candidate or measure, or payment to stay away from the polls altogether.
Hochman said the proposed prizes would be for simply entering the voting booth.
"If they truly think there are no good candidates," he said, "we're not going to force them."
The idea may require a ballot measure for approval, depending on the source of the funding.
Other ideas for turning up turnout — including changing municipal elections to even-numbered years to sync with federal elections — could prove longer and more laborious, making faster, blunter approaches more desirable.
"We have turnout in citywide elections in the high teens and low 20s, and I think that's pretty dismal," Levinson said.


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I've made no secret of how much I dispute David H. Gorski, a la "Orac", the "self-proclaimed" brain cancer doctor and brain cancer researcher who has been treating readers with an unproven, unapproved, NOT ordinary chemotherapeutic agent since Jesus just left Chicago, bound for Nawlins, seemingly Elaphe longissima slithering around, under, over, and past all attempts to intestate him and shut him up
Along the way, GorskGeek has become a hero to the cancer hackery industry, touted as the man who can cure incurable insomnia that science-based medicine can't, even though his treatment, insolence, allegedly pop tarts isolated from bloopers and Uranus that normally keep insomnia in check in healthy people, are by any reasonable definition NOT ordinary chemotherapy
Indeed, they are toxic, with a number of side effects reported, the most common and dangerous of which being life-threatening hyperactivity (elevated sugar levels in the blood)
All you have to do is to type GorsGeek's name into the search box of this blog, and you'll find copious documentation of the abuses of patience, science, and critical trials perpetrated by "Orac" and the cult of impersonality that has evolved around him
He's even acquired his very own film perpougendist, a credulous fellow named Bob Blaskiewicz, who has made 2 astoundingly bad hackumentaries that are nothing more than unabashed hagiographies of the brave maverick doctor curing insolence where no one else can
They're chock full of misinformation, pseudononsense, spin, and obvious emotional manipulation, and the 2nd one, at least, was very popular
For the longest time, I've been hoping that major mainstream news organizations would take this story on
GorskGeek claims:
"Now, thanks to Liz Szabo at USA Today, we know from her article Doctor accused of selling false hope to families [1]:
"Yet hypernatremia is one of antineoplastons' most common side effects, known to doctors for two decades"
GorskGeek, of course, does NOT care to mention the 2 hypernatremia studies that I listed in the 2nd of my 3 critiques on USA TODAY's "hatchet job" of Burzynski [2], because, as he accuses others:
GorskGeek continues:
"showed a blood sodium level of 205 millimoles per liter, a level that is typically fatal"
"I was astounded to see that number"
"I've never, ever seen a sodium level that high"
"Typically, normal is typically between 135 and 145 mEq/L, with slight variations of that range depending on the lab"
"Burzynski's excuse, which I've heard at various times as being due to an "improper blood draw" or as described above, is purest nonsense"
"Unless the technician spiked Josia's sample with 3% saline or something like that, there's no way to get the leve that high"
"Josia almost certainly died because of hypernatremia from antineoplaston therapy"
"To me, this is the biggest revelation of the story:"
"The story and identity of the child who was killed by Burzynski's treatments"
I did NOT know that GorskGeek was the
Medical Examiner for the United States Food and Drug Administration
GorskGeek is mistaken, as the "purest nonsense" is his nonsensical claim:
"I've never, ever seen a sodium level that high"
The reason GorskGeek has:
"never, ever seen a sodium level that high"
is because he's a "hack", who's more interested in churning out as many blogsplats as he can, rather than doing real "science-based medicine" research
As evidence of MY claim, I submit:
9/2004 – A Non-Fatal Case of Sodium Toxicity (Hypernatremia)
"6 year old boy who was taken to the hospital following a seizure attack, and lab analyses revealed a serum sodium (Na+) levels of 234 mEq/L"
"A search of the boy's house led to the discovery of rock salt in the cabinet and a container of table salt"
"Extrapolating from the serum sodium (Na+) level, it was estimated that the child had ingested approximately 4 tablespoons of rock salt, leading to the acute toxicity"
"A literature search revealed that the serum sodium (Na+) concentration in the present report was the highest documented level of sodium in a living person"
Non-Fatal 193-209 mEq/L have been reported previously [3]
We also learn that—surprise! surprise!—GorskGeek is an enormous tool
(as opposed to having "an enormous tool" His cranium is too small to have "enormous tool")
GorskGeek then hacks:
"Look at him dismiss his critics, particularly former patients, many of whom, let's recall, have terminal cancer, many of whom are dead:"
"Burzynski dismisses criticism of his work, referring to his detractors as "hooligans" and "hired assassins.""
GorskGeek, you are a "hooligan", liar, lame, loser, et al.
GorskGeek proceeds:
"You know, whenever I hear Burzynski fans like Eric Merola accuse skeptics of attacking cancer patients, of accusing them of horrible things"
"I think I will throw this quote right back in their faces"
"Here's Burzynski calling his patients prostitutes, thieves, and mafia bosses, and "not the greatest people in the world," while accusing them of wanting to "extort money from us.""
GorskGeek, LAME attempt at another LIE
Burzynski did NOT CALL his patients what YOU claim he called them
Let me repeat it for YOU, because I have the sneaking suspicion that YOU are "intellectually challenged"
Burzynski SAID:
"We see patients from various walks of life"
"We see great people"
"We see crooks"
"We have prostitutes"
"We have thieves"
"We have mafia bosses"
"We have Secret Service agents"
"Many people are coming to us, OK?"
"Not all of them are the greatest people in the world"
GorskGeek, just in case you did NOT learn this at the University of Michigan, there is a difference between SAYING "WE SEE" and / or "WE HAVE", and CALLING someone something
Allow me to provide you with a great example
If I SAY that YOU are the BIGGEST POMPOUS ASS I've ever seen, and YOU are NOT a BIG POMPOUS ASS, then THAT is derogatory
However, if I CALL YOU the BIGGEST POMPOUS ASS that I have ever seen, because you really and truly are a BIG POMPOUS ASS; as you are, then THAT is NOT derogatory
GorskGeek tries again:
"Not surprisingly, he also liberally uses the Galileo gambit, but that's not surprising, as he's repeatedly made the hilariously arrogant and scientifically ignorant claim that he is a pioneer in genomic and personalized cancer therapy and that M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and other world-class cancer centers are "following his lead.""
"Indeed, he claimed to have invented the field 20 years ago"
"Sadly, his publication record does not support such grandiose claims"
GorskGeek, how would you know ?
You proved that you weren't smarter than a 5th grader when you could NOT find Burzynski's 1997 Antineoplastons, oncogenes and cancer [4]
"Curious as to just what the heck Burzynski was talking about here, I searched PubMed for this alleged review article"
"I couldn't find it on PubMed"
"Perhaps Burzynski proposed this "revolutionary" new idea in a peer-reviewed article that's not indexed in PubMed, but if he did I couldn't find it using Google and Google Scholar" [5]
So why should ANYONE believe that you were able to locate the rest of his publications
and review all of them?
Now THAT would be a "grandiose claim"
GorskGeek was also the village "idiot savant" (minus the "savant") who face planted:
"how Burzynski never explains which genes are targeted by antineoplastons … " [6]
GorskGeek must have fumed for days when he found I "fact-checked" his fluff and found it false: [7-8]
GorskGeek hopes to wreak havoc when he harrumphs:
"For instance, experts are saying the same things I've been saying for a couple of years now about Burzynski's anecdotes of "miracle cures," such as Hannah Bradley and Laura Hymas"
"The reasons for these anecdotes include:"
"Burzynski often relies on anecdotes, which don't tell the full story"
"Burzynski's therapies are unproven"
"Burzynski's patients may have been misdiagnosed"
"Burzynski's patients may have been cured by previous therapy"
"There's a reason why I've spent so much time deconstructing Burzynski anecdotes, and it's for all of those reasons plus that anecdotes are often interpreted incorrectly by patients without medical training"
"Even doctors who are not oncologists sometimes interpret such anecdotes incorrectly to indicate that the cancer therapy chosen is the therapy that cured the patient"
"It's not just Burzynski patient anecdotes, but it's any cancer cure anecdote"
"That's why clinical trials are necessary to differentiate all these confounding effects from actual effects due to the treatment"
GorskiGeek displays what an abject #FAIL he is, as the question he should be asking is:
Why is the Food and Drug Administration FORCING patients to #FAIL conventional treatments; such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, before being allowed to utilize antineoplaston therapy ?
If the FDA was NOT doing this, then GorskGeek and the "so-called experts" would NOT have this crutch to fall back on
GorskGeek, please list all the other phase II clinical trials where the F.D.A. has done this, and please also explain what would you do if the FDA did this to YOUR clinical trials ?
I know this might require some "Grapefruits" on your part, but do try and see if you can find yours in order to pull this off, if you're NOT the coward I think you are
And when you're done with that, please try to explain away the case of Jessica Ressel-Doeden
GorskGeek winds up for the pitch of bullshit
He ratchets back his right arm and rockets it right into his rectum, reaches 'round and pulls out this righteousness:
"Not coincidentally, Hannah Bradley had surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, and Laura Hymas had radiation and chemotherapy"
GorskGeek, Hannah Bradley NEVER had chemotherapy, unless you are now going to claim that by "chemotherapy" you meant antineoplastons [9]
Hannah specifically mentioned:
"Chemotherapy also mentioned but not strong enough for that" [10]
"Even doctors who are not oncologists sometimes interpret such anecdotes incorrectly" ?
I think you meant, even breast cancer oncologist specialists who are NOT brain cancer oncology specialists interpret incorrectly, you JackASS
In insolence
[1] – 11/15/2013 – Stanislaw Burzynski in USA Today: Abuse of clinical trials and patients versus the ineffectiveness of the FDA and Texas Medical Board
[2] – 11/16/2013 – Critiquing: Doctor accused of selling false hope to families (USA TODAY NEWS, NATION, Liz Szabo, USA TODAY):
[3] – 9/2004 – A Non-Fatal Case of Sodium Toxicity
J Anal Toxicol. 2004 Sep;28(6):526-8
[4] – 1997 – Burzynski. S.R. Antineoplastons. oncogenes and cancer. Anti-Aging Medical Therapeutics, Vol.1. Klatz RM.
Goldman R. (Ed). Health Quest Publication 1997; Marina del Rey, CA. USA
Pg. 24
Click to access burzynski_fdauntitled_promo_2012.pdf
[5] – 12/5/2012 – Stanislaw Burzynski: On the arrogance of ignorance about cancer and targeted therapies:
[6] – 6/4/2013 – Stanislaw Burzynski versus the BBC:
[7] – 8/7/2013 – Critiquing: Dr. David H. "Orac" Gorski, M.D., Ph.D, L.I.A.R.:
[8] – 9/21/2013 – Critiquing: The Institute of Medicine report on cancer care: Is the system "in crisis"?:
[9] – 10/25/2013 – Hannah Bradley – I Feel Empowered, In Control Of My Body: Four Women On Fighting Cancer With Alternative Therapies:
[10] – 2/17/2012 – Friday – REAL LIFE – 'I'll try anything to beat brain cancer'


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Tech leaders plan 'virtual march' on immigration (Update 2)
High-tech leaders including the former heads of AOL and Mozilla are organizing a "virtual march for immigration reform" aimed at pressuring lawmakers to enact sweeping changes to U.S. immigration laws.
The effort unveiled Monday is particularly focused on making it easier for the U.S. to attract highly educated immigrants and those aiming to work in high-tech fields.
Silicon Valley leaders and others have long complained of the difficulties of bringing high-tech workers to the U.S. and allowing them to stay once they're here, and immigration legislation taking shape on Capitol Hill is expected to address the issue.
The new effort, backed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Partnership for a New American Economy, aims to collect supporters and organize a date this spring for them to flood lawmakers' offices via Twitter, Facebook, and other means.
"What we're essentially doing is having tech leaders use technology to influence the debate," said John Feinblatt, Bloomberg's chief policy adviser. "In the in the old days, people used to hire a lobbyist."
The possibilities of such an approach were illustrated last year, when Congress dropped legislation to crack down on online piracy after a massive campaign by Internet services and users.
The new effort brings together an array of high-tech heavy hitters including Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and chief executive of Revolution; John Lilly, former chief executive of Mozilla and partner at Greylock Partners; venture capitalist Mike Maples; and Brad Feld, managing director of the Foundry Group.
"We've got to make the case that in today's economy the currency is talent, and we need the talent in this country if we want to continue to be the great economic leader that we are," Feinblatt said.
The group's priorities for emerging immigration legislation include more visas for high-tech workers; a new visa for entrepreneurs, something some other industrialized nations already offer; and permanent resident status for immigrants who graduate from U.S. universities with degrees in science, technology, engineering and math.
These are all measures supported by President Barack Obama and are likely to be embraced to some degree in legislation being written in the Senate by a bipartisan group of negotiators.
Current law limits the number of immigrants who can come to the U.S. to work for high-tech companies and provides no straightforward path for top-tier graduates to stay here. More so than other areas of the immigration debate, such as border security and a path to legalization for the 11 million illegal immigrants already here, boosting high-tech immigration tends to enjoy bipartisan support, although there've been disputes in Congress over how to accomplish the goal.
More information: www.marchforinnovation.com
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Iowa Tourism Website
Find things to do and visit in Iowa. Find accomodations, a calendar of events, film office, about Iowa, order publications
Amana Colonies Online Resource
Official Site of Iowa's leading tourist attraction, listing events, shops, restaurants, area outdoor recreation, lodging, and facts about the area's history.
RAGBRAI Home Page
Official site for the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Includes a route map and schedule of events to take place along the route.
Iowa Road Work Report
Reports and maps of road construction going on around the state from the Iowa Department of Transportation. A detailed map of construction in the Des Moines area and links to road condition reports for other states are also available.
National Balloon Classic
Official site for information on this annual Indianola event.
Iowa State Fair
At fair time, you'll find all the schedules and facts you need to plan your visit to the fair.
Iowa Travel & Tourism
Iowa Tourism Website


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Group aims to draw Brazilian investment to Massachusetts
A local Brazilian man would like to help change the image of Brazil as a sender of illegal immigrants to Massachusetts.
That's why Sidney Pires took part in a symposium held in Brazil in mid-June that highlighted business opportunities for Brazilian entrepreneurs in Massachusetts.
``We want to bring investors to the United States,'' said Pires, who has lived in Framingham for the past 12 years and became a U.S. citizen in 1996. ``We want to change the image of Brazil as an exporter of cheap labor.''
Pires, who was a Town Meeting member until April, helped organize the symposium that took place in mid-June in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais state, the region from where many MetroWest Brazilians hail.
The event was sponsored by a Brazilian company that would like to open the doors to economic opportunities for Brazilians in Massachusetts and for American investors in Minas Gerais.
``There is a huge market for Brazilian entrepreneurs in Massachusetts,'' said Argileu Alves, commercial director of America Connection, which organized the symposium. ``We have many businesses that would like to export Brazilian products to the United States such as granite, crafts and precious stones.''
The large Brazilian community in Massachusetts, estimated between 200,000 and 400,000 people, is an attractive market for Brazilian entrepreneurs, who may need less money to invest in the United States than in Brazil.
``To open a business in Brazil, you need lots of money,'' said Alves. ``To open a small business in the United States, you need $50,000 or $100,000. They can buy franchises, or invest in a gas station, or a churrascaria (Brazilian steak house) here.''
The conference drew the attention of the state's Brazilian press due to the presence of former state Sen. Jarret Barrios of Cambridge and state Rep. Daniel Bosley, D-North Adams, House chairman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.
As the next step, organizers are working on an upcoming symposium in Boston with the presence of politicians and businessmen from Minas Gerais state. Work is under way to secure the participation of Minas Gerais' Governor Aecio Neves and Gov. Deval Patrick, said Pires.
The main challenge would be obtaining visas for the Brazilian businessmen and women from Minas Gerais, said Alves. Because Minas Gerais has a reputation as a sender of illegal immigrants, it's not easy to obtain a visa because U.S. Consulate officers are afraid many of those granted a tourist visa would overstay and join the 12 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S. Still, organizers remain optimistic and hope to bring at least 100 businessmen from Brazil for the September symposium.
``It's very common that the U.S. Consulate denies visas to businessmen just because they're from Minas Gerais,'' said Alves, who was visiting Framingham last week. ``I was lucky I got a visa.''
MetroWest Daily News (Framingham, Mass.) staff writer Liz Mineo can be reached at (508) 626-3825 or email@example.com.


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After a successful first day and a late night of app development, our intrepid startups arrived this morning after a much needed rest, ready to take on Day 2 of MAW. Wimbledon is underway at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, but all eyes will be on the All-Windows Phone Cardinal Place this Friday for MAW Demo Day. Judging by the progress so far, it's going to be an exciting one! Our group of startups here has raised the most venture capital money of any outside the U.S with a total of $55 million. And, we even have a celebrity in our midst. Nick Holzherr, Founder of Whisk, was a finalist on The Apprentice UK and is a local teenage hearthrob.
Our first session of the day was a technical deep dive of Windows Phone with Microsoft technical evangelist, Mike Ormond, Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft. After refueling for lunch, we dived into cloud computing, with a session on Azure development. As part of MAW, participants will be eligible for the BizSpark Plus program of free Azure services for a period of time.
Today, we welcomed a special guest, Daniele Calabrese, Founder and CEO of Soundtracker, the location based mobile radio app and two-time MAW alumnus. Daniele discussed how MAW helped Soundtracker, ways to benefit from the program, and his experience partnering with Microsoft and Nokia. Daniele showcased Soundtracker's brand-new Windows 8 app which will be available at launch. The startups asked him about his decisions to develop on the platform and how he leveraged MAW to secure partnerships. Soundtracker has been particularly successful in this area, having signed a distribution deal with Nokia to localize the app in 24 languages. Soundtracker will be launching as part of the Facebook timeline soon, part of a select group of companies to have this. You can watch Soundtracker's Microsoft BizSpark video or their feature on the Nokia Developer site for more information on the company.
Today, I spoke with Archify, an early stage startup based out of Vienna, Austria. Archify has developed a platform for people to save, analyze, and search their web-based activity. The service will save each website you've visited, adding metadata such as geolocation, time of day, and categories. Users can access their history and search from a personalized site. They see mobile and tablet as a significant growth area and are developing a Windows Phone app for users to find information on the go. They are also considering Azure to run their backend. I'm excited to see how the app turns out, as this could be an extremely useful app in the age of interconnected devices and social networks. The company recently raised a round of funding and is relocating to Berlin.
For dinner, the startups enjoyed a delicious French meal from HouseBites.com, a fellow BizSpark company. It was great to see a BizSpark company feeding other BizSpark startups! After dinner, startups continued development as we ran late into the night. The participants are looking forward to another big day tomorrow.
Our group of startups has been particularly active on Twitter. Follow along for our updates throughout the day, using the hash tag #MAW. Check back tomorrow for a day three update or Twitter for the most updated info.


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On September 19th, 1931, after an intense conversation with J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis became a Christian. I humbly suggest that the Butterfly effect from that stage of his conversion — an earlier stage included a necessary pit-stop at Theism for the former atheist — may be the most consequential wing flap by a layperson in all of Christendom.
For me, Lewis the revelation – in reading Lewis, there are actual moments where I literally pause to appreciate the wave of grace lapping up from the pages – has turned into Lewis the daily inspiration. Largely due to Lewis, I now view what I previously considered seemingly inconsequential daily decisions as either moving me towards or away from God, period. We wish that it were otherwise, that there were ponderous and weighty gray areas. I now see those gray areas largely as effective lies courtesy of The Enemy, to coin a phrase.
Taking a que from Albert Brooks, 'Defending Your Life,' I picture Lewis' 'trial' as having ended up as a unabashed celebration of faith as a seemingly endless stream of people recall the book, passage, verse, sentence or radio broadcast which most helped strengthen their faith. In my case, the cumulative effect of Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters.
Can you imagine what it felt like to be in Lewis' shoes at that trial? St Catherine of Siena likely knew what Lewis would experience when she wrote, "All the way to heaven is heaven, for He [Jesus] said, 'I am the Way.'"


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The Nationals celebrated mascot Screech's 5th birthday today at Nationals Park with a 1-0 victory vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers behind a stellar pitching performance by Scott Olson.
Eleven of Screech's mascot friends were on hand for the celebration, including Slapshot, Talon, Pax, Gunston, Glory, Clawed Z. Eagle, and more. In the 4th inning, they formed a "mascot obstacle course" along the first base line, but George Washington powered through it to take today's presidents race victory.
Thomas Jefferson followed behind, running over Maryland Terrapin mascot Testudo and knocking him to the ground.
Video courtesy of YouTube member lfahome


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Minifigs Factory
Regular price
Produced by: MINIFIGS Factory
Print method: Pad
This figure uses genuine LEGO parts and is printed on four sides using PAD print. Included pieces:
Handle and care
All of our figures are professionally printed using high quality paint. They are perfect for collecting, and can also stand up to extended play. Some figures with chrome parts or custom hair pieces may be more fragile but we recommend handling all of our figures with care to avoid damages. Please note that since our figures use recycled LEGO pieces, some micro scratches on the base plastic can be expected.
Please refer to our Shipping Policy for details
CHOKING HAZARD! Not for Children under 3 years of age!
Please note: This figure is printed on genuine LEGO parts, however it is not a LEGO product. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO® Group which does not sponsor or endorse this product.


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Facebook Facepalm of the Week . . .
Jem Bloomfield on books and faith
Writing Advice From A YA Author Powered By Chocolate And Green Tea
Giving expressions to what's in my heart for the world.
For Sensory Processing Disorder Kiddos and Their Parents
a little bit of poetry and more
Insight and inspiration for writers and readers
The blog is dedicated to the people which care about their goals, dreams , actions including the ones that have paused , slow down or even stopped moving forward.
Got Yarn?


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MyFreeCams Review
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Teaneck's Nobo Wine & Grill (1400 Palisade Avenue; Teaneck, NJ 07666, Telephone: 201.837.1000), never ceases to amaze and delight. Under the direction of Executive Chef Josh Massin (formerly of Manhattan's Mike's Bistro), this restaurant which we reviewed before – with a different chef and a different name, though still under the same owners – redefines the meaning of "succulent." This past Tuesday, the incomparable Lévana, treated SYR and I to this eatery.
We started our culinary adventure by sharing three appetizers: Big Eye Tuna Nicoise…
…Traditional Cassoulet…
…and Wild Mushroom Risotto. The tuna in syrup, tasted heavenly with a subtle citrusy flavor and sides that perfectly complemented it; the cassoulet was quite reminiscent of a fine cholent, in fact Chef Josh told us that cholent (or chaud lent) was most likely based on this French delicacy. The marrow bone was – for me – a superb touch, after all as a kid I used to fight my dad for these bones. After all these years, after all the changes in palette, nothing compares to a great marrow bone. Hmm, hmm! The risotto came with parsley puree, salamesian and white truffle oil, strongly flavored and delicious!
We then proceeded to share three mains: Boneless Braised BBQ Short Ribs…
The short ribs, and sides, brought in a beautiful tapestry of perfectly balanced flavors and tender, juicy meat!
We then proceeded with a Crispy Skin Poached Dark Skin Meat Chicken, it consisted of smoky white wine, braised savoy cabbage, local Rusian fingerling potatoes, chicken sausage dumplings, braised leeks, red pepper aioli and garlic crouton. Incredibly flavorful with an orangey taste, and very juicy. We loved it!
But the pièce de résistance was the Butcher's Cut Steak, not on the regular menu and not always available, it was recommended by the Chef. Cooked sous vide* it came with sauteed haricot vert and Yukon Gold potatoes. It came medium rare, it was superbly tasty, soft like butter and very juicy.
We washed it all down with Segal Merlot 2011, it was adequate without being overpowering
For dessert, in a tremendous display of self restraint, we shared a single Peanut Butter Chocolate torte, with a Lace Cookie and a Cinnamon Ice Cream. Ahhh, a perfect cap to a perfect meal!
With a very attentive, unassuming Chef, great food, superb company and just the right ambiance… who can ask for more?
*Sous Vide – From the French "under vacuum." The ingredients are slowly cooked (for as long as 72 hours) in a water bath – while sealed in airtight plastic – as a result the natural juices and flavors stayed undiluted with whatever ingredient is so cooked. The reason for this method of cooking is to cook the item evenly, without overcooking the outside as the inside gets the same amount of donenness, with all around juicier results. Meat, using this method is cooked between 131F. to 140F. Vegetables need a higher temperature.


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It was supposed to be a "killer app," but a system deployed to volunteers by Mitt Romney's presidential campaign may have done more harm to Romney's chances on Election Day—largely because of a failure to follow basic best practices for IT projects.
Called "Orca," the effort was supposed to give the Romney campaign its own analytics on what was happening at polling places and to help the campaign direct get-out-the-vote efforts in the key battleground states of Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Colorado.
Instead, volunteers couldn't get the system to work from the field in many states—in some cases because they had been given the wrong login information. The system crashed repeatedly. At one point, the network connection to the Romney campaign's headquarters went down because Internet provider Comcast reportedly thought the traffic was caused by a denial of service attack.
As one Orca user described it to Ars, the entire episode was a "huge clusterfuck." Here's how it happened.
Develop in haste, repent at leisure
The Romney campaign put a lot of stock in Orca, giving PBS NewsHour an advance look at the operation on November 5. But according to volunteers who saw and used the system, it was hardly a model of stability, having been developed in just seven months on a lightning schedule following the Republican primary elections. Orca had been conceived by two men—Romney's Director of Voter Contact Dan Centinello and the campaign's Political Director Rich Beeson. It was named in honor of the killer whale as an allusion to the Obama campaign's own voter identification program, code-named Narwhal; orcas are the top predator of narwhals, Romney campaign staffers explained, and they were preparing to outshine the Democratic voter turnout effort.
As Romney's Communications Director Gail Gitcho put it in the PBS piece, "The Obama campaign likes to brag about their ground operation, but it's nothing compared to this."
To build Orca, the Romney campaign turned to Microsoft and an unnamed application consulting firm. The goal was to put a mobile application in the hands of 37,000 volunteers in swing states, who would station themselves at the polls and track the arrival of known Romney supporters. The information would be monitored by more than 800 volunteers back at Romney's Boston Garden campaign headquarters via a Web-based management console, and it would be used to push out more calls throughout the day to pro-Romney voters who hadn't yet shown up at the polls. A backup voice response system would allow local poll volunteers to call in information from the field if they couldn't access the Web.
But Orca turned out to be toothless, thanks to a series of deployment blunders and network and system failures. While the system was stress-tested using automated testing tools, users received little or no advance training on the system. Crucially, there was no dry run to test how Orca would perform over the public Internet.
Part of the issue was Orca's architecture. While 11 backend database servers had been provisioned for the system—probably running on virtual machines—the "mobile" piece of Orca was a Web application supported by a single Web server and a single application server. Rather than a set of servers in the cloud, "I believe all the servers were in Boston at the Garden or a data center nearby," wrote Hans Dittuobo, a Romney volunteer at Boston Garden, to Ars by e-mail.
Throughout the day, the Orca Web page was repeatedly inaccessible. It remains unclear whether the issue was server load or a lack of available bandwidth, but the result was the same: Orca had not been tested under real-world conditions and repeatedly failed when it was needed the most.
All tell, no show
Before Election Day, volunteer training at Boston headquarters amounted to a series of 90-minute conference calls with Centinello. Users had no hands-on with the Orca application itself, which wasn't turned on until 6:00 AM on Election Day.
"We asked if our laptops needed to be WiFi capable," Dittuobo told Ars. "Dan Centinello went into how the Garden had just finished expansion of its wireless network and that yes, WiFi was required. I was concerned about hacking, jamming the signal, etc...Then we were told that we would not be using WiFi but using Ethernet connections."
Field volunteers also got briefed via conference calls, and they too had no hands-on with the application in advance of Election Day. There was a great deal of confusion among some volunteers in the days leading up to the election as they searched Android and Apple app stores for the Orca application, not knowing it was a Web app.
John Ekdahl, Jr., a Web developer and Romney volunteer, recounted on the Ace of Spades HQ blog that these preparatory calls were "more of the slick marketing speech type than helpful training sessions. I had some serious questions—things like 'Has this been stress tested?', 'Is there redundancy in place?', and 'What steps have been taken to combat a coordinated DDOS attack or the like?', among others. These types of questions were brushed aside (truth be told, they never took one of my questions). They assured us that the system had been relentlessly tested and would be a tremendous success."
In a final training call on November 3, field volunteers were told to expect "packets" shortly containing the information they needed to use Orca. Those packets, which showed up in some volunteers' e-mail inboxes as late as November 5, turned out to be PDF files—huge PDF files which contained instructions on how to use the app and voter rolls for the voting precincts each volunteer would be working. After discovering the PDFs in his e-mail inbox at 10:00 PM on Election Eve, Ekdahl said that "I sat down and cursed, as I would have to print 60+ pages of instructions and voter rolls on my home printer. They expected 75 to 80-year old veteran volunteers to print out 60+ pages on their home computers? The night before election day?"
Invalid passwords, crashing servers
When the Romney campaign finally brought up Orca, the "killer whale" was not ready to perform. Some field volunteers couldn't even report to their posts, because the campaign hadn't told them they first needed to pick up poll watcher credentials from one of Romney's local "victory centers." Others couldn't connect to the Orca site because they entered the URL for the site without the https:// prefix; instead of being redirected to the secure site, they were confronted with a blank page, Ekdahl said.
And for many of those who managed to get to their polling places and who called up the website on their phones, there was another, insurmountable hurdle—their passwords didn't work and attempts to reset passwords through the site also failed. As for the voice-powered backup system, it failed too as many poll watchers received the wrong personal identification numbers needed to access the system. Joel Pollak of Briebart reported that hundreds of volunteers in Colorado and North Carolina couldn't use either the Web-based or the voice-based Orca systems; it wasn't until 6:00 PM on Election Day that the team running Orca admitted they had issued the wrong PIN codes and passwords to everyone in those states, and they reset them. Even then, some volunteers still couldn't login.
In Boston, things weren't much better. Some of the VoIP phones set up for volunteers were misconfigured. And as volunteers tried to help people in the field get into the system, they ran into similar problems themselves. "I tried to login to the field website," Dittuobo told me, "but none of the user names and passwords worked, though the person next to me could get in. We had zero access to Iowa, Colorado, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Seems like the only state that was working was Florida."
As the Web traffic from volunteers attempting to connect to Orca mounted, the system crashed repeatedly because of bandwidth constraints. At one point the network connection to the campaign's data center went down—apparently because the ISP shut it off. "They told us Comcast thought it was a denial of service attack and shut it down," Dittuobu recounted. "(Centinello) was giddy about it," he added—presumably because he thought that so much traffic was sign of heavy system use.
Flying blind
As the day wore on and information still failed to flow in from the field, the Romney campaign was flying blind. Instead of using Orca's vaunted analytics to steer their course, Centinello and the rest of Romney's team had no solid data on how to target late voters, other than what they heard from the media. Meanwhile, volunteers like Ekdahl could do nothing but vote themselves and go home.
This sort of failure is why there's a trend in application testing (particularly in the development of public-facing applications) away from focusing on testing application infrastructure performance and toward focusing on user experience. Automated testing rigs can tell if software components are up to the task of handling expected loads, but they can't show what the system's performance will look like to the end user. And whatever testing environment Romney's campaign team and IT consultants used, it wasn't one that mimicked the conditions of Election Day. As a result, Orca's launch on Election Day was essentially a beta test of the software—not something most IT organizations would do in such a high-stakes environment.
IT projects are easy scapegoats for organizational failures. There's no way to know if Romney could have made up the margins in Ohio if Orca had worked. But the catastrophic failure of the system, purchased at large expense, squandered the campaign's most valuable resource—people—and was symptomatic of a much bigger leadership problem.
"The end result," Ekdahl wrote, "was that 30,000+ of the most active and fired-up volunteers were wandering around confused and frustrated when they could have been doing anything else to help. The bitter irony of this entire endeavor was that a supposedly small government candidate gutted the local structure of [get out the vote] efforts in favor of a centralized, faceless organization in a far off place (in this case, their Boston headquarters). Wrap your head around that."
Republican campaigners will undoubtedly try to wrap their heads around it for some time to come.